Attitudes of Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology Students Towards Noise in Youth Culture

In order to increase the use of hearing conservation strategies among youth, it is important to identify which populations are most amenable to potential behavior change. The purpose of the present study was to compare attitudes towards noise between undergraduate speech-language pathology/audiology majors and other majors. Participants (N = 119) responded to a survey used to compare attitudes toward noise in the two groups, as well as their perceived ability to influence their sound environment. In addition, a correlational analysis was performed to determine if a relation exists between attitudes towards noise and attitudes towards influencing one\u27s sound environment. Findings revealed that the speech-language pathology/audiology majors group had significantly healthier attitudes toward noise in youth culture than the other group. In addition, a significant correlation was found between attitudes towards noise and attitudes towards influencing one\u27s sound environment, providing systematic replication based on the theory of planned behavior. Results support the hypothesis that more exposure and education can lead to more positive attitudes. These findings suggest that speech-language pathology/audiology majors are among the population of youth who may be more responsive to hearing conservation education and more likely to make behavioral changes